Magnesium can help boost vitamin D levels. Here are foods that are rich in these minerals.

Delhi: if you’re looking to get more vitamin D in your diet, take it with a side of magnesium.

That mineral appears to help regulate levels of vitamin D, which in turn manages the levels of other minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. It also improves bone strength and possibly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Tennessee say that magnesium raises levels of vitamin D in people who need more of that substance and lowers levels among those who have an excess amount of the vitamin in their system.

The researchers reached their conclusions after conducting a randomized clinical trial involving 250 people considered at risk of colorectal cancer.

The study, published in the December 2018 issue of the americann journal clinical, was the first direct evidence that magnesium plays a role in vitamin D regulation.

A study from the same group of researchers found an association between low magnesium levels and low vitamin D levels.

Researchers also have noted variations in vitamin D synthesis, with some people failing to raise their levels of the vitamin even when taking high-dose supplements.

Dr. Qi Dai, the lead author on the latest study and a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said their research explains why.

“Vitamin D insufficiency is something that has been recognized as a potential health problem on a fairly large scale in the U.S.,” said Martha Shrubsole, PhD, a study co-author and a research professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “A lot of people have received recommendations from their healthcare providers to take vitamin D supplements to increase their levels based upon their blood tests.”

“In addition to vitamin D, however, magnesium deficiency is an under-recognized issue,” she told Healthline. “Up to 80 percent of people do not consume enough magnesium in a day to meet the recommended dietary allowance.”

“This has big implications for bone health, suggesting that taking a magnesium supplement may help people get to a desired level of vitamin D faster,” Levitan told Healthline. “Magnesium may also facilitate the actions of vitamin D on bone health, though the data to prove an actual benefit in regards to fractures is not clearly established.”

Dai said further research is needed to determine the molecular mechanism underlying magnesium’s effect on vitamin D synthesis.